Forest Love
by Raven May III
Summary: The shard is compleate, Miroku is saved, but the shard is still unused. InuYasha is in a slight frenzy as the new moon is a day away.Will Kagome and InuYasha finally be able to admit their love? ANd why is Sesshoumaru stalking them?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Inu-Yasha or any of the characters mentioned. I just like to have a little fun and use them in my stories. So Don't steal my ideas. Or I'll flame ya. Any who. It's a Inu X Kagome fic. Nothing detailed. But there is some parental discretion advised for foul language. So be warned. And if you want details then go to (w w w . freewebs . com / ravenmay) and click on Forest Love. I also have a DeviantArt Account: Mihoshie

Forest Love

The shards were found and the jewel was whole again. Naraku was defeated and Miroku's 'Wind Tunnel' was gone. Yet the well remained open. A couple weeks passed, but I was unsure were to go. Should I return to my time and forget Inu-Yasha and all my friends? Or remain in the feudal era with Inu-Yasha? I couldn't decide. I loved Inu-Yasha. But I loved my friends and family too. Grrrrrr! Why is love so fickle! I could live with Inu-Yasha and visit home during the holidays. Or vice-versa. It would depend on Inu-Yasha and his behavior to the problem.

I left the hut and walked to the well. Inu-Yasha obviously lost me because I heard him yell the usual 'Where is she!' and 'What is she doing there!' phrase. He came running out of the forest. I was sitting on the edge of the well. So many memories were stored in the old wood. Come to think about it, a lot of trees held a lot of my memories with Inu-Yasha. Inu came up to me and looked into my eyes.

"What are you doing here?" his voice was soft, not harsh like it usually would be if I had left unannounced.

"Thinking." Was that all I could say? I didn't even look at him in the eyes. What's wrong with me? I looked up. He was right in my face.

"About leaving?" I could tell he was thinking about me leaving.

"Maybe." I turned away from his face. Now he'll get to see my whole cheek turn red.

"Don't." he put his hands on my shoulders.

One word was all it took to make my heart jump around. I turned to him, tears in my eyes.

"I don't want to leave you, Inu-Yasha. But my mom and grandpa and Sota. Won't they miss me?" my hands were folded together at my chest.

"You can see them during New Years and the holidays. Don't leave me here alone." his head was down and I saw a tear roll down his face.

"Inu-Yasha?" I held a hand to his face. He suddenly lifted his eyes and I felt his head on my shoulder.

"I don't want to never see you again, Kagome." he sobbed; I held his head.

"I won't leave you. I promise. As long as you don't go and get yourself killed." I smiled.

How many times I could see my self in his position. I never thought he'd be the one crying while I held him, I mean while we were both in good health.

Night came and Sango, Kirara, and Miroku returned to Sango's village. Shippo and Miyoga went with them too. Kiaede had already left for another village in need of a priestess. It was almost a new moon, so I couldn't see the forest from the hut I was staying in. Inu was rustling around inside, but I continued to look out at the forest. A falling star zipped by and I wished that Inu-Yasha and I would be happy together.

"Come on!" Inu-Yasha grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the hut and into the forest.

He stopped at the Sacred Tree, let my hand go, and threw a few blankets on the ground. It

was cold out side and I was wearing my school uniform. I even left my shoes at the hut! I shivered while Inu-Yasha's back was turned but he knew I was cold because he took off his fire rat kimono top and wrapped me up in it. He sat down on the blankets and pulled me down to him. I dropped into his lap and fell off. I was now lying on the blankets. He leaned back and turned over to face me. I turned to look at him. He grabbed my hand and held it.

"Kagome?" he was unsure how to say what whatever it was.

"Yes?" I moved closer so that only a whisper separated us.

"I really care about you." his face turned red. I closed the gap between us with a kiss.

"I know." I sat up and looked to the sky.

He fell to his stomach and held himself up with his forearms. He inched his way next to me and kissed me back. I, of course, closed my eyes. I let a tear roll down my face. He pulled back and had a frown on his face.

"Kagome? What did I do? Don't cry." He was freaking out.

"It's not you Inu-Yasha. I'm just stressed." I smiled and leaned up to him.

"Oh. What from?" I knew he was giving me sulking look.

"I don't know. Just a weird feeling like I belong here just as much as I belong in my own era." I sighed.

I laughed and he started to get up but I grabbed his shoulders and flipped him over. I pinned him and he looked at me astonished, his arms in the air.

"Wha...?"

He was probably at a loss for words, but the look left his face and he reached up to hold my waist. The kimono fell off my back and I resorted to lying across Inu-Yasha's stomach. My legs were both on the left side of his body and I rested my head over his heart. I was scared. I stroked his shirt, feeling the precision of the weave.

"Kagome?" Inu-Yasha started to stroke my hair. My eyes were closed.

"M."

"I think I want you to stay here with me." he sounded perplexed. My eyes opened and I looked at him.

"Why?"

"I don't want to leave here. Everything good that has happened to me has happened here. In my era." I looked at him. Those eyes. What were they trying to tell me?

"I don't know what you're saying."

"I... I love you, Kagome. More than anything."

"More than Kikyo?"


	2. Chapter 2

Inu's eyes twitched. He looked away. I pushed my way out of his arms. _Guess not_. I got up and brushed my skirt off. I looked back at him. He was still looking out at nothing. The clouds were starting to come and the smell of rain was thick. I headed back to the hut. _I blew it! Stupid Kagome. Stupid, Stupid._ I hit my head lightly with my fist._ Well at least I know. I guess._ I stopped in the doorway and looked back at Inu-Yasha, but found him not following. He wasn't coming. I guess he was thinking about Kikiyo still. I meandered back to the cooking fire and added a few new sticks. _Something warm should make me happy. But how to get Inu-Yasha out of the rain. _ I didn't realize it till I said it, but it was raining, quite hard by the sound of it. _And_ _Inu-Yasha's still out there. I wonder, will he come in if I make some ramen? No, I should call him first. Then onto the ramen._ I stood just inside the hut. "INU-YASHA!" A couple minutes passed and I didn't see him walk out of the forest. "INU-YASHA!"

"what…" he mumbled softly, walking through the rain. I'd never seen him like this before. Well, maybe I had, only a few times before. But only when he found out that I saw him with Kikiyo. This time was different. I felt sad for him. He slipped past me and sat in a corner farthest from the fire.

"You should sit by the fire. You don't want your kimono to shrink." I told him. It sounded motherly, but it

was true.

"whatever…" he closed his eyes and held his sword. I looked out again. _Why? What is it that is making him sulk so much? _ I slumped in the doorway, my back sliding down the frame. I sat on the ground with a womp. I heard Inu-Yasha rustle and felt him looking at me. I kept my eyes outside in the forest. The wind outside brought the rain inside. I shivered when the rain hit my face. I heard the patter of his feet as he walked towards me. Loose dirt speckled my wet hands. I didn't look at him, just stared at my hand. I had tears in my eyes. _Nothing will work. I should go home._

My hand was being wiped. I couldn't see because of the tears that refused to fall from my eyes. I looked at Inu-Yasha and blinked the tears out. He looked at me with compassion. "Kagome." He hugged me. For what seemed like hours, he held me. I rubbed my eyes in his shoulder and silently sobbed. I felt his hand stroke my hair. The warmth of his breath on my neck made me shiver with pleasure. _Be still my beating heart!_ He let me go and pushed me out to arms length. His eyes were soft and sorry. "Kagome, I…" he stopped, like he was gathering his thoughts, or trying to stop himself from thinking out loud. His eyes wandered around the hut, looking for something that could distract him. He would find something if he was in my room, but an empty hut in the feudal era had much to be desired. He looked back at me.

"I… I…"

_What! Spit it out already!_

"Kikiyo is in the past now. I do. More than Kikiyo." He dropped his arms to his side and looked at the dirt floor. I placed my hand under his chin and lifted his eyes to mine. He had tears in his eyes. _What did I do? Why is he crying?_ "Inu-Yasha?" he looked at me and suddenly buried his head in my lap.

"Forgive me, Kagome. I didn't mean to hurt you." I heard him mumble.

"Oh, Inu-Yasha." I placed my head on top of his. "Its alright. I always knew you would come back." I smiled into his hair. I think he might have fallen asleep in my lap because he didn't move for a long time. "Inu-Yasha? Are you awake?" I heard him whisper no, but then he lifted his head up. He sneezed. His eyes were watery. "Are you sick, Inu-Yasha?" he sniffled. _His hair is still wet! He must be. Oh! Don't say I tell you so._ I stood up and walked over to my backpack.

After rummaging around the bottom for a few minutes I found what I was looking for. Inu-Yasha was sitting by the fire. _Finally._ I sat down next to him and revealed my brush to him. "Turn your back to me. Your hair won't dry fast enough by itself." He looked at me weird, but did as he was told. He sat there, letting me brush his hair. "It's a new moon tomorrow. What are you going to do if your sick?" I started to brush near his ears. "I dunno. What ever I usually do." He sounded depressed. His head drooped down. I dropped my arms and put the brush down. "Oh, come on. Don't sound so depressed." I shoved his shoulder. "Hey!" he joked.

"If my brother comes after me, promise me you'll stay out of his way." He tilted his head.

I gently scratched behind his ear. "If Miroku and Sango are here tomorrow, then I will. If not, I'm the only one who can protect you. Like it or not." I could tell he wasn't really listening, his foot was wiggling. _Silly dog._ "he he." He turned around and looked at me. The rain had stopped for a little bit. But the wind was getting stronger. I shivered. It must have been almost 10, because I was getting tired. I stood up and went over to my backpack. I left the brush on the floor, and got my sleeping bag out. "Where is the blanket, Inu-Yasha?" _Oh. That's right. We left it outside._ Before I could say 'forget it', Inu-Yasha had bounded out of the hut to retrieve it. _Good boy,._ I though sarcastically. He returned a few moments later with a heavy, wet blanket. "Hold it near the fire. Don't let it burn." I heard him huff in disgust.

While I slept, Inu-Yasha kept watch over the fire. I knew because I would wake up at random hours of the night. "Are you having trouble sleeping, Kagome?" I looked up to find Inu-Yasha squatting over me. He just had to look at me to get an answer. He left my side and returned a few minutes later with a cup. "Drink this. It will help." He handed me the cup. This wasn't the first time he had taken care of me. I took the cup and drank the contents. Actually you could have classified it as chewing it down. I didn't want to think about what was in it. I smiled at him and went back to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

I woke up to the smell of just caught fish cooking on a new fire. I opened my eyes and saw Inu-Yasha crouched, as usual, near the fire. He was mumbling or singing. I couldn't tell which. But it was a good sign. I sat up and he turned around. A big grin was on his face. "Shippo is coming. But I think Sango and that monk are staying behind. Word in the village is that Kiaede is returning in another day. Here." He handed me a fish. "Eat up." He smiled again.

I was late afternoon when Shippo returned. "KAGOME!" we hugged and I heard Inu-Yasha snicker. "Be careful, Shippo. I think Inu-Yasha is planning something." I whispered to him. "I heard that!" _Damn those ears of his._ He had an annoyed look on his face. It was the night of the new moon. A bad night for Inu-Yasha, for it meant he would become human. At least until the light of the following dawn covered him. _If we are lucky, no one will bother us. If we're lucky._

Miroku and Sango did not return. The sun's light vanished behind the mountain and Inu-Yasha's silver locks were stringy black tresses. His dog-ears were now human ears and his facial features became more mortal. He hid in the darkest corner of the hut. Shippo followed him.

"What's wrong, Inu-Yasha?" Shippo hopped onto his knee. SMACK! Shippo fell of with a large bump on his head. I was about to yell OSUWARI, but Inu-Yasha was human and that would hurt him.

"INU-YASHA! Be nice. Of all nights." I huffed and turned away, walking back to the fire.

I crouched near the edge of the fire, looking into the flames. _Hmmmm. He's acting a bit paranoid. I should ask him why._ I was leaning forward to stand up, but I lost my balance and threw my hands out in front of me. I forgot that the fire was right there and my hands fell into the flames. "AHHHHHHHHH!" I jumped back and ran out of the hut. "KAGOME! Wait! Where are you…" I was to far to hear him. I ran to the stream and thrusted my hands into the rushing water. Instant relief was to far for me to grasp. The pain of a million knives stabbing all over my hands nearly crippled me. So I resorted to crying over the water. Inu-Yasha ran up behind me. I felt his hand on my shoulder and his eyes looking below the water.

"Kagome? Are you okay?" he kneeled next to me. "Was it some thing I did?"

"No. I was stupid to forget." I pulled my hands out of the water and showed them to him. I didn't look. No, I couldn't look. I felt him gingerly take one into his hand and pull it to his face.

"Kagome. This is why you screamed? You need to see Kiaede, and immediately." He grabbed my wrists and pulled me up so he could carry me to Kiaede's hut. "If she isn't there, we can still look around for some thing to wrap it up with till she does come back."

Lucky for me, Kiaede had returned some time after sunset. She was sleeping but that didn't last long.

"Hey, old hag. Wake up. Kagome hurt herself. Bad." Inu-Yasha was still holding me. He poked Kiaede with a toe. She moaned then, as though something stabbed her, jumped up with ease.

"Kagome is hurt! How? By what?" Kiaede was building the fire back up. "Bring her to the light. Let me see." Inu-Yasha let me down by the fire. I held my hands out. It was the first time that I had seen my hands. "Does it hurt, my dear?"

"It looks worse than it hurts. Is that possible, Lady Kiaede?" I looked at Inu-Yasha.

"It is possible and very unreassuringly. We must mend this damage as soon as we can. The longer we wait, the less chance you have of being able to use them."

I looked back at Inu-Yasha as Kiaede cleaned and wrapped my hands. Every so often I would wince and Inu-Yasha would twitch. I guess my hands did look worse than they felt. When Kiaede was finished she gave me some medicine. She figured I knew how to use it.

"Can we go back now Inu-Yasha?"

"Sure." He mumbled and he picked me back up.

It was a most quiet ride back to the hut. Moments of silence were interrupted by Inu-Yasha's harsh words about my stupidity. I guess he thought I had fallen asleep. I wish I had. Then I could dream about him. But it was not to be. He dropped me on the floor near my backpack. I tried to get my sleeping bag out but couldn't because I had forgotten to pack it. Inu-Yasha set up a makeshift bed near the fire.

"Don't go and roll over into the fire. Your hands are bad enough." He grumbled and sat down by me.


	4. Chapter 4

I didn't sleep as well as I had wanted. My hands would ache and sometime I would roll over them. I couldn't take it anymore, I left the hut and went to the river.

I let my bare feet float in the cold water while I wiggled my toes. I pulled the Shikon jewel out of my skirt and rubbed it between my palms. The glow made me feel safe. I returned the jewel and splashed my feet in the water. A hand rested gingerly on my shoulder. I didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

"I'm sorry I was short with you."

"I understand. You're stressed. That's all." I wiped a drop of water off my face.

"No. I shouldn't have taken it out on you." He sat down next to me.

"I said it was okay." There was an awkward moment of silence.

"hey, Kagome? Have you decided what you are going to do with the jewel?"

"I might take it back to the future. That's where it was when I found it. So that is where it will be when I lose it." His hand dropped and his head replaced the cooling spot.

"Kagome." I heard him inhale deeply. "Don't leave here me alone."

"Inu-Yasha?" I was at a loss for words once again. His arms wrapped around my waist. _Please let him. If not now, then it will never happen._ "couldn't leave you here. Besides, who would protect you from Sesshoumaru?"

"Thank you, Kagome." He leaned closer to me and I felt his hot breath on my neck. I stroked his hair and leaned my head on him.

_He acts so strange when he's mortal. Either he's hiding in a corner or following me._

"What frightens you the most, Inu-Yasha?"

"Dying. Because then I would never get to see you again. And seeing you cry."

"I fear losing that which I love most." I looked to the sky.

"What?"

"My friends. My family. You." His arms tightened around me.

"I love you Kagome."

"I know." I patted a hand.

"You don't know. Not yet." He lifted his head and his breath was tickling my ear. "Do you want to know how much I love you?" he moved behind me.

My hair was moved over one shoulder and I felt his nose on my neck. I was scared but I could make my body move or my mind think. All I could hear was my heart and all I could feel was him. I felt Inu-Yasha smile.

"Yes." It came out more of a mew than anything else.

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AH! Short chapter! You people have been waiting for more chapters so here they are. Its only because I'm being creative this month. I should have five and six up by the end of this month so yay for everyone! possibly SessKag Moment. PG! I swear! (well maybe a little kiss or touch. but nothing T!)


	5. Chapter 5

There was a rustling of leaves and Inu-Yasha stood up and faced the sound.

"Must we do this, Lord Sesshoumaru?"

"Jaken, take Rin and watch Ah-Un."

"Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru. Come, Rin. Leave the Master."

"Yes Master Jaken."

Inu-Yasha began to growl. I stood and placed my hands gingerly on his shoulders.

"What do you want?"

"Oh! ome come, little brother. That's no way to greet someone stronger than you."

"I'll show you who's stronger." Inu-Yasha began to lung but I tightened my grip until I yelped in pain. He stopped and turned to me. "Kagome? What did you do?"

"Nothing. I'm fine now." I lied of course. I stared at Sesshoumaru. "Stay behind me." _Or I'll sit you_.

"You're pathetic. Hiding behind a human girl."

"I'd keep your mouth shut. Everyone knows the real reason why you let Rin follow you around. And it has nothing to do with your swords."

"Kagome!" Inu-Yasha whispered harshly in to my ear. "Are you trying to get yourself killed!"

"Inu-Yasha go back. You're no help to the situation."

"But…"

"Do it or I'll say the word." I felt his breath leave my shoulder and kept Seshoumaru's gaze on me.

Inu-Yasha obeyed and turned back to the hut. Sesshoumaru continued to stare at me but a slight grin began to form across his face.

"What? You smirk like you know something." I took a battle ready stance. I knew I was no match for him without my bow and arrows but I still wanted to go down honorably if he did attack.

He swiftly walked a circle around me. He stopped behind me. _What is he doing? Why is everything becoming so difficult?_

"Why do you protect my brother?" the question caught me as odd and very out of place for Sesshoumaru to ask.

"because…He is my friend." I had to say something.

"You lie. Tell me the truth." He was directly behind me. I knew because I could feel his empty warmth.

"Because he is my friend." If I backed down he would win. And Inu-Yasha would never think of me the same.

"You harbor feelings for my brother, don't you?" my heart started to quicken, my breath shortened. "Yes. That is it. You love that pathetic half-breed."

"He's not pathetic!" I pushed sesshoumaru away from me. A short but evil chuckle rose from him. He jumped into the forest.

"You made it too easy. Until next time, little brother." His voice vanished as well as his footsteps. _Inu-Yasha has been watching the whole time?_ The sun began to rise, to my relief and most likely Inu-Yasha's as well.

When I felt he had sufficient time to change I punished him for not obeying.

"Inu-Yasha?"

"Damn him. If he only stayed a minute later. What."

"Sit boy!" BAM!

"OW! What the hell was that for!?" I walked back towards the hut in a huff.

I passed the hut and continued on until it was dark. I was sure that I was close to the village but I couldn't see any lanterns or voice. I climbed a low branching tree to get an aerial view. I was long lost. I didn't even know what direction I was traveling or how to get back. I was a little scared because I had the jewel and I didn't have my bow or Inu-Yasha. I was completely defenseless. I decided to wait till morning to continue traveling. I found a chair-like branching and wedged myself securely in, so I wouldn't fall. I closed my eyes.

I awoke to the sound of the wind rushing past my ears and a familiar motion. I looked beneath me to find that I was on someone's back.

"Inu-Yasha?"

"I couldn't find you. I was worried." His voice was soft. I just rubbed my face in his hair.


End file.
